Alcian blue

Alcian blue
Other names Alcian blue 8GX, Ingrain blue 1, C.I. 74240
Identifiers
CAS number	33864-99-2 Y
PubChem	3084579
ChemSpider	2341620 Y
Jmol-3D images	Image 1 Image 2
SMILES CN(C)C(=[N+](C)C)SCC1=CC2=C(C=C1)C3=NC4=NC(=NC5=C6C=C (C=CC6=C([N-]5)N=C7C8=C(C=CC(=C8)CSC(=[N+](C)C)N(C)C)C(=N7) N=C2[N-]3)CSC(=[N+](C)C)N(C)C)C9=C4C=CC(=C9)CSC(=[N+](C)C)N(C)C. [Cl-]. [Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cu+2] [Cu+2].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].S(/C(=[N+](/C)C)N(C)C)Cc8ccc9c1[n-]c(nc7nc(nc4[n-]c(nc2nc(n1)c3ccc(cc23)CS/C(=[N+](/C)C)N(C)C)c5c4ccc(c5)CS/C(=[N+](/C)C)N(C)C)c6cc(ccc67)CS/C(=[N+](/C)C)N(C)C)c9c8
InChI InChI=1S/C56H68N16S4.4ClH.Cu/c1-65(2)53(66(3)4)73-29-33-17-21-37-41(25-33)49-58-45(37)57-46-38-22-18-35(31-75-55(69(9)10)70(11)12)27-43(38)51(59-46)64-52-44-28-36(32-76-56(71(13)14)72(15)16)20-24-40(44)48(63-52)62-50-42-26-34(19-23-39(42)47(60-49)61-50)30-74-54(67(5)6)68(7)8;;;;;/h17-28H,29-32H2,1-16H3;4*1H;/q+2;;;;;+2/p-4 Y Key: KDXHLJMVLXJXCW-UHFFFAOYSA-J Y InChI=1/C56H68N16S4.4ClH.Cu/c1-65(2)53(66(3)4)73-29-33- 17-21-37-41(25-33)49-58-45(37)57-46-38-22-18-35(31-75-55 (69(9)10)70(11)12)27-43(38)51(59-46)64-52-44-28-36(32-76- -56(71(13)14)72(15)16)20-24-40(44)48(63-52)62-50-42-26- 34(19-23-39(42)47(60-49)61-50)30-74-54(67(5)6)68(7)8;;;;;/h17- -28H,29-32H2,1-16H3;4*1H;/q+2;;;;;+2/p-4/fC56H68N16S4.4 Cl.Cu/h;4*1h;/qm;4*-1;m InChI=1/C56H68N16S4.4ClH.Cu/c1-65(2)53(66(3)4)73-29-33-17-21-37-41(25-33)49-58-45(37)57-46-38-22-18-35(31-75-55(69(9)10)70(11)12)27-43(38)51(59-46)64-52-44-28-36(32-76-56(71(13)14)72(15)16)20-24-40(44)48(63-52)62-50-42-26-34(19-23-39(42)47(60-49)61-50)30-74-54(67(5)6)68(7)8;;;;;/h17-28H,29-32H2,1-16H3;4*1H;/q+2;;;;;+2/p-4 Key: KDXHLJMVLXJXCW-XBHQNQODAQ
Properties
Molecular formula	C56H68Cl4CuN16S4
Molar mass	1298.86 g mol−1
Y (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Micromass cultures of C3H-10T1/2 cells at varied oxygen tensions stained with Alcian blue.

Alcian blue (AB), also called Alcian blue 8GX, Ingrain blue 1, and C.I. 74240, is a copper phthalocyanine, first synthesized by the ICI dyestuffs department under N. H. Haddock in 1947, originally as a textile dye. The dye stains acid mucopolysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans, for which it is one of the most widely used cationic dyes; the stained parts are blue to bluish-green. It can be combined with H&E staining and van Gieson staining methods. It bonds by electrostatic forces with the negatively charged macromolecules. Gradual increases in the electrolyte concentration used to wash the bound dye selectively identifies neutral, sulphated, and phosphated mucopolysaccharides.

External links

• Histological Stains
• Stains File
• Whiteman P (February 1973). "The quantitative measurement of Alcian Blue-glycosaminoglycan complexes". Biochem. J. 131 (2): 343–50. PMC 1177474. PMID 4269149. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1177474.